


Sunday Afternoon

by queerlettuce



Category: The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-16
Updated: 2014-10-16
Packaged: 2018-02-21 09:22:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2463104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queerlettuce/pseuds/queerlettuce
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Piper and Reyna are making pancakes and enjoying their time together</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sunday Afternoon

They’re making pancakes, despite it being almost one in the afternoon, but Piper had been promised a Sunday breakfast and she’d be damned before Reyna failed to deliver.

Outside, rain flecked against the windows and freckled the stone pathways with dark spots. The sun was sheltered by the painted, pale gray clouds that hanged low over the hills but the sun’s light still brightened Reyna’s small kitchen. Aurum and Argentum lounged in the muted light that filtered through the curtains, a small breeze and the _plunk_ of rain drifted through the parted window.

It wrapped Piper in a peace she wasn’t sure she had ever felt before. She could close her eyes and breath the fresh air without the fear of opening her eyes to some kind of nightmare. Usually, this time of day, Reyna’s garden in the backyard was humming with the chirps of birds and other critters but with the light rain, they must be harboring under the neatly trimmed trees. It was quiet enough that if Piper listened hard, she could hear the sounds of the citizens of New Rome milling around.

She was safe here, barefoot on the hardwood floor, in Reyna’s house, dressed only in the praetor’s oversized purple hoodie, the gold lettering scarred and almost completely faded, pills lining the sleeves and rib cage. Content in this beautiful house with a gorgeous, powerful woman in a tranquil city.

It was partly Piper’s fault, but mostly the weather’s, that they had gotten such a late start. They had been awake for hours already but the drizzly day had made Piper reluctant to leave the warmth of the bed and of Reyna. Today was a rare day that Reyna was freed of her praetor duties and she had wanted to spend it with Piper. She had convinced Reyna to stay with her, snuggling into her girlfriend and rolling in the sheets, sharing the lazy moment. Eventually, Reyna’s restlessness and Piper’s grumbling stomach got her out of the bedroom.

Reyna was currently leaning over the counter, studying the pancake recipe she clutched in one hand, her reading glasses perched on her nose. Her hair rested in a loose braid on her shoulder and she wore underwear and a fresh t-shirt that rode up her hipbones. Piper licked her lips, the dried sweat on her upper lip leaving a salty tinge on her tongue.

Reyna read off the ingredients, “Flour, sugar, salt and baking powder?”

"Check, check, check and…" Piper scanned the containers gathered on the counter, "Check."

"Eggs, milk and butter?"

"All in the fridge. Ready to go!"

"Wanna grab a whisk?" Reyna set down the index card.

"Sure."

Reyna reached in the cupboards overhead for a mixing bowl and Piper watched her stretch, her stomach peeking from under her shirt.

"Piper?"

"Huh?"

"I appreciate the staring, but you’re the one that wanted pancakes."

Piper met her dark eyes and tossed her a charming smile, “Right.”

She rummaged through the drawers until she found a stainless steel whisk and measuring cups that looked brand new. Reyna really didn’t cook much.

Reyna spouted out the instructions and Piper measured out the ingredients, dumping them into the bowl as Reyna stirred them all together.

"What’s next?"

"Eggs."

"How many?"

"Working on that. I think that’s a smudge." Reyna squinted at the small card. "Please do not tell me I need a new prescription." She grumbled as she slipped her glasses off, rubbing the lenses on her shirt.

Piper smirked, glancing at the bowl of dry ingredients as Reyna focused on cleaning her glasses.

She stepped forward, pressing a kiss into Reyna’s cheek as one hand dipped into the bowl of flour, pinching a clump in her fingers.

"What are you-"

Piper splattered the flour across Reyna’s face, taking a step back as Reyna flinched, blinking away the flour clotting in her eyelashes.

"Oops." Piper grinned.

For a second she thought she had overstepped her boundaries with Reyna, something she had been afraid of doing. Reyna’s expression stayed blank as Piper’s stomach dropped, her smile beginning to fade away until Reyna lunged forward, abandoning her glasses on the counter and grasping a handful of flour.

Piper tried to dart away but the clump of flour hit her in her neck and hair.

"You really should have thought this through better," Reyna laughed, collecting another handful.

Piper reached for the egg carton, arming herself with fragile grenades.”Bring it, praetor.”

They chased each other around the kitchen, shattering eggs against all surfaces, which quickly became coated with flour. They spat out white dust clouds and patted themselves down, tears of laughter tracing outlines in their freshly powdered faces,

Piper slipped on egg slime that was smeared on floor and Reyna took it as an opportunity to hook an arm around Piper’s waist, pulling her into her chest. With a death-grip around her middle, Piper was helpless as Reyna cracked an egg over her head. Piper shrieked as the shell split open and the gross insides soaked into her hair and dribbled down her forehead.

Piper’s hands were uselessly pressed against Reyna’s sternum as she grinned down at Piper, a triumphant twinkle in her eyes.

"Looks like I win."

"Ah, well, you see," Piper avoided shivering as egg goop trickled down the back of her scalp, "You fell into my trap. This is where I wanted you all along."

Reyna quirked an eyebrow, “Is that so?”

Piper smirked, drumming her fingers along Reyna’s collarbone, “Both of us dirty and in need of a hot shower. I mean it’s been almost a full hour since I last saw you naked. Can’t have that, now can we?”

"Hmm, no." Reyna gazed at her, her head tilting a few degrees. The playful look on her face dissolved into something thicker. Reyna’s eyes rooted Piper to the spot, her bones becoming heavy, pulling her to the ground.

Piper swallowed hard; she seen this intense look before, caught Reyna staring at her from across the commons area or when Piper was saying her goodbyes as she left New Rome but she never knew what it meant.

Reyna was more easy going than Piper had originally thought; she seemed to enjoy Piper’s foolish company but maybe Reyna was taking inventory of herself. Dignified and powerful praetor standing in a puddle of eggshells and their contents, her hair matted with crusty flour. Was Piper worth that?

A beast of doubt that had been slowly fattening itself in Piper’s intestines began to stir. Her relationship with Reyna had never seemed permanent. She didn’t feel she was what Reyna wanted. She wasn’t sure if she was who any soldier of Rome could find lasting happiness with. Piper was fun but temporary; she was nothing a Roman would devote their life to.

Nausea rolled through her insides and Reyna’s grip on Piper’s waist didn’t lessen. She could feel her heartbeat in her fingertips and she was drawn deep into Reyna’s eyes. Piper was spiraling along the valleys and rivers of her irises, getting lost in their russet color; she was being pulled into Reyna. The thought of Reyna suddenly releasing her, frightened Piper.

Blinking, Reyna glanced down at Piper’s lips, allowing Piper to retract back into her body, then back to her eyes, although the fierce stare that had enamored Piper before had lessened.

With her free hand, Reyna wiped away the drying egg whites on Piper’s forehead and pushed her hair back.

"Piper McLean," Reyna finally said, in a soft whisper, "I love you."

Piper hadn’t been aware she was holding her breath, but a sharp exhale escaped from her chest. Reyna was smiling at her now, a content smile, no expectations or doubt; the smile Reyna gave her when Piper arrived in New Rome after being gone for a couple weeks on Long Island.The snake in her gut deflated like the world’s most pathetic balloon animal.

Reyna _loved_ her.

Piper laughed then. She giggled straight into Reyna’s chest, pressing her cheek over Reyna’s heart. If Reyna’s arm hadn’t been so tightly wound around her, Piper might have tipped over. It was as if she had just been injected with a dose of helium. She cupped Reyna’s jaw in the palm of her hands and pulled Reyna’s face closer to hers, capturing her lips.

There was flour caked in the corner of their mouths that swirled in the side of Piper’s cheek, but she didn’t care because Reyna tasted sweet and strong. Her hands were pressed into Piper’s back, leaving streaks of flour on her sweater.

Piper felt fluttery as they slipped apart, bouncing on the balls of her feet, “Wow, I. Wow.” Heat rushed to her cheeks, flaring raspberry red. “I love you, too.”

"Yeah?" Reyna beamed.

"Most definitely, yes."

**Author's Note:**

> I was prompted on tumblr and wrote this thing. Since it became about 1500 words I decided to add more Pipeyna to AO3!


End file.
